


Just Once

by Nevermore_red



Series: Just Once (not enough) [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fremione - Freeform, Kissing, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 12:22:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15995138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevermore_red/pseuds/Nevermore_red
Summary: Hermione has a request for Fred before she leaves on the Horcrux Hunt.





	Just Once

Hermione stood at the back door of The Burrow, watching as people worked to set up things for the wedding tomorrow. There were a million things going through her mind. Voldemort, the war, her parents, the possibility of never going back to school, and the importance of what she, Ron, and Harry were going to do instead. They were all logical concerns, but for some reason the most pressing thing on her mind was a kiss. One that she hadn’t had. One that she wanted more than anything, and if this was going to be her last few days of freedom before being bound to a tent with two smelly boys, then she could grab all her Gryffindor courage and do something about it.

Finding him was the easy part. He was with George, as usual, and they were charming lamps to float in the air.

“A test run.” George said when she asked what they were doing.

“Oh.” She cleared her throat and tried to seem confident. “Fred, would you mind giving me a second? I wanted to ask you something.”

“Yeah.” He said distractedly, then glanced over at her and did a double take. “Sure. Here, Georgie.” He passed off the lantern he was holding to his brother and then motioned for Hermione to lead the way. With so many people bustling about, the only place she could think to bring him that wouldn’t be inhabited was behind Arthur’s shed.

“Something I did wrong here, Granger?” he asked with a teasing lilt to his voice. “You aren’t going to hex me to bits now that you’ve got us hidden, are you?”

“No.” Hermione spun around to look at him. He was smiling easily down at her and Hermione couldn’t help but smile back, put at ease just looking at him.

“You’ve a question for me, then?” he prompted.

“Just once.” She whispered, and then cleared her throat, stood straighter and spoke louder. “I wanted to know if you would kiss me. Just once.”

As she watched, Fred’s eyes went wide with shock, his lips parting in surprise. He blinked a few times, his usual quick wit seeming to have left him at the moment.

“I mean, you don’t have to, of course.” She hurried to add. “I just thought…well, I might be leaving for some time and I’ve always wanted to. Kiss you, I mean. Because I have kissed before, but it wasn’t…”

“Hermione?” he said her name as a question and Hermione snapped her mouth shut to end her rambling.

“Yes?”

“I can’t kiss you if you keep talking.” He grinned, taking a slow, deliberate step towards her. Hermione’s stomach fluttered and she blushed when she realised he was actually going to do it.

“Oh, yes. Of course. Sorry.”

“No apologies.” He stepped even closer, both hands coming up to smooth down her hair, one going around to cup the base of her skull. “I’ve always thought you looked like a fierce little lion with this mane of hair.”

When her face fell with embarrassment, Fred caught her chin with a finger and tugged her face back up to look at him. “I adore that about you.”

“Thank you.” She breathed, caught by his dancing brown eyes and the light of his smile. He leaned down and Hermione tipped her head up and her eyes fluttered closed when he nudged her nose with his. Then his lips, warm and soft and tasting faintly of licorice, pressed down onto hers. The incessant nagging of her thoughts and worries quieted. For a small amount of time, everything was perfectly alright and good. He pulled away a moment later, and Hermione stayed like that, chin tilted up and eyes shut, a small smile on her lips while Fred’s thumb rubbed back and forth along her chin.

“Oi!” George’s voice yelled out from just round the shed and Hermione’s eyes snapped open. “Fred! I’m not putting all the work in myself, you jackass.”

Fred glanced in the direction of the voice, still holding her head and chin. He sighed, then looked back her with a grin.

“Hope that was worth it.” And then he winked, and sprinted off towards his brother. Hermione swayed where she stood.

It was totally worth it.

-

Hermione laid on her cot. Her feet were aching and her stomach growled loudly, but she ignored it. Instead she stared up at the top of the tent, listening to Ron snore and Harry shift around on his own cot. They’d just laid down for the evening, and the radio was on Potterwatch. She listened as River (Lee) and Rapier (Fred) finished their broadcast. It was always nice hearing Fred’s voice and she always brought her hand up to her lips while she listened, the ghost of a memory still there.

“And one more thing,” Rapier said. “If your listening, my fierce little lion,” Hermione bolted upright with a gasp, her heart skipping a beat. “Just once wasn’t enough.” He laughed, but it didn’t sound all that happy. More longing. “It wasn’t nearly enough.”

For the first time in the weeks they’d been on this hunt, Hermione smiled. Really, truly smiled. It gave her just one more reason to get home as soon as possible and finish this war.

**Author's Note:**

> This was prompt I received on Tumblr and thought I’d post here as well. I’m going to pretend, even though this doesn’t go that far, that this is also a Fred Lives AU.


End file.
